Make this Dulce de Guayaba into guava jam that you can use to fill cakes, guava sauce to serve with your favorite desserts, or Pasta de Guayaba to serve as candy. It's a three-in-one recipe!
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When I was a kid we had a guava tree in our backyard. The fruit was the most common variety at the time – reddish, small, but very sweet. It was perfect for making Dulce de Guayaba (Guava Jam).
Unfortunately, it is not the type of guava that lends itself to mass production and sale, as it has to be picked ripe and spoils very fast. It’s been decades since I last saw one of those.
Our guava tree wasn’t the only one in our backyard. My mom, frugal and practical like most Dominican moms, complemented our diet with fruits and vegetables that she grew in our backyard. This was actually the norm then, when most Dominicans, even in the cities, lived in houses with backyards.
About this Dulce de Guayaba recipe
Pasta de guayaba (guava paste candy) is very simple to make, requires few ingredients and is very popular in our country. If you can find guavas where you live, try it – you’ll love it.
There are several varieties of guava; each will make this dish slightly different, but in the end, it doesn’t matter, the result will be just as good. I personally prefer the small, pink ones, but these are not easy to come across, so use whichever ones you find.
There are three ways of serving Dulce de Guayaba (Guava Jam): you can make it thick and let it harden, then cut it into cubes to be served as candies. And you can also use it as filling for the Dominican Cake, or this Ricotta and Guava Tart, or dilute with a bit of water to serve as a sauce with the Auyama Flan.
Whatever you do with it, it will make your desserts amazing and unforgettable.
Buen provecho!
Dulce de Guayaba and Pasta de Guayaba Recipe (Guava Jam and Guava Paste)
Ingredients
- 8 ripe guavas
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 quart [1lt] of water (more if necessary)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
Instructions
- Wash and peel the guavas. Cut into halves and scoop out the seeds.
- In a thick-bottomed pot boil the seeds and the cinnamon sticks in 1 quart [1lt] of water over low heat until the seeds separate and the water is dark. Add more water if it becomes necessary to maintain the same level.
- Strain the liquid and eliminate the seeds and cinnamon. Return this liquid to the pot, along with the sugar and guava halves.
- Boil until the guava becomes very soft, and the liquid has reduced to about one cup. Cool to room temperature.
- Blend the guava and the liquid left from boiling. Return to the pot, cook over medium heat stirring the pot so it doesn’t stick to the bottom or burn. Be careful with splatters!
How to make guava sauce (salsa de guayaba)
- To make the sauce, stop it when it has thickened enough to drizzle. It'll be slightly thicker once it has cooled.
How to make guava jam or sauce (dulce de guayaba)
- To make it into spreadable jam, or to be used as a cake filler, stop when it has thickened to the consistency of yogurt. It'll be slightly thicker once it has cooled.
How to make guava paste (pasta de guayaba)
- To make into candy cubes, wait until the paste starts lifting from the bottom, and pour it into an oiled small square mold and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cut into cubes.
Can this be frozen, or how long does it last in the fridge!
I suggest you refrigerate it, not freeze it. I have used it for up to two weeks, it never lasted longer.
Thank you for this recipe……I think…..it I am still cooking. I was fortunate enough to experience Guyaba in Guanajuato for the first time about 4 years ago. I ate it every morning fresh. When I stumbled across it in Walmart of all places I bought way too much to eat it all ( over excited). my husband and I also brought back the candy so We could still have our taste of Mexico. So I am attempting…..wish me luck
Guavas are tropical and in Florida they sometimes have 2 growing seasons depending on weather. The primary season is late Summer/early Fall and secondary season would be spring. Thanks for the recipe! My family has guava recipies going back generations, but I’m going to give this a try.
Would love to try this. Think that guava paste would hold up to being dipped in chocolate?
Also, we don’t see guavas much in the stores on the west coast. Is there a particular season where they are at their best?
To be honest, I don’t know when it’s guava season. While I am reasonably sure it will hold up to chocolate dipping, I am not sure those are two flavors that really go together. Guava has a delicate flavor and it would be drowned by the taste of chocolate.
Winter and summer in California
Wanting to make guava fruit leather.
I’ve tried your recipe and it turned out great the first time around, so I’m going to go for it again! Brings back memories of my childhood and going to the the mexican candy mercados.